Biggest Loser
by SadaraLochlan
Summary: A story outside my normal headcanon. Hamilton Burger is unlucky in love as well as the courtroom, but someone wants to help him change that.
1. Biggest Loser

It never ceased to amaze Della Street how often she and her boss, inimitable defense attorney Perry Mason spotted their courtroom nemesis out and about in the evening hours after the long days in court were over. Marchand's restaurant was a favorite locale for all of them, though only occasionally did they all go out as a group.

Secluded in a corner booth, Della spotted Hamilton Burger about halfway across the room. He was seated at a table for two with the woman he'd been seeing for a few months now. Drinks had been poured and their dirty dinner dishes had just been whisked away by the server. Even from her distant vantage point, Perry Mason's confidential secretary could practically suffocate from the tension surrounding the pair. She could just feel the other shoe about to drop.

A sad sigh escaped Della as she realized that this relationship was going the way of all of Hamilton's relationships; down the drain. And she knew why. And Perry and Paul and Tragg knew why. It was the same reason why they'd all resigned themselves to the possibility of never having families. Well, except for Lieutenant Tragg who had married before taking up his career in law enforcement.

Having caught the sigh, Perry finished giving his order to the server and turned to Della, curiosity and concern written all over his handsome face.

"Della?"

"Look," she gestured with her head in the direction of the District Attorney. Falling silent, the brilliant brunette tried to focus on the clinking of dishes, the delightful aromas of all the delicious food being served, and the hushed and not so hushed chatter of the other patrons, but even that didn't help drown out the empathy she felt for Hamilton who couldn't even seem to win at love when he couldn't win in the courtroom.

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Hamilton Burger stared down dejectedly into his wine glass. He rotated the stem slightly back and forth, swirling the contents. He couldn't meet her eyes. It would hurt too much if he did. He had been looking forward to their evening out all day. For once their plans hadn't been quashed by the demands of his work, but now it appeared to be too little, too late. It was always too little, too late.

Soft hands with perfectly painted red fingernails grasped his in a gentle, caring way. And there was an undercurrent of genuine sorrow and regret in the soft voice that floated across the table to him.

"I'm sorry, Hamilton. I really do care about you, but I can't go on like this. Our plans almost always have to be rescheduled because of your work. I do understand that these cases are important and have to come first, but I just can't see a future with someone who is never home. What if we married and had children? I'd never see you. The children would never see you. I wish I was the one who could accept and work with that, but I'm not and you deserve someone who can. I hope you find her soon. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too," Hamilton murmured softly into his glass, still not looking up. He didn't trust himself to look up. He'd trained himself not to in these moments. It was better for both of them if he just stared into his drink until she left. He could fight the urge to try and talk her into staying that way. He'd tried that before early in his career and had even convinced a few to stick it out with him a little longer, hoping things would change and he'd be able to give them the attention they wanted and deserved. It had been like trying to stick a square peg in a round hole and had soured things to the point that those women wouldn't even remain friends with him when things had finally reached ignition temperature. His career always seemed to get in the way.

She stood up, grabbing her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?" Concern tinged her voice.

"Yeah, sure," he said, swallowing hard. He took a sip of the wine and then went back to staring into it. It occurred to him that he should probably offer to walk her out to her car, but he still had to pay the bill first and he was ready to be left alone to wallow in his misery. "Take care of yourself, Karen."

"You too, Hamilton. See you around."

Her retreating footsteps signaled the all clear for the hapless prosecutor to push his wine glass back towards the center of the table and rub his eyes tiredly. For a long moment, he wondered all over again why he bothered trying to date and have a relationship with a woman. They all ended the same. His constant canceling and rescheduling because of the demands of his work, flowers sent in apology the first few times, and then after the pattern became apparent a few months later, the woman would inevitably break it off.

Adding to the difficulty was the fact that Hamilton Burger knew he was no catch. He had a successful career, at least when he didn't have to square off against Perry Mason in the courtroom, but he didn't have Paul Drake's good looks and charm to help him win over the ladies. And now he was getting older.

Hope for a family was starting to leave him.

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"He just can't win, can he?" Della said softly. "I feel so sorry for him."

"As do I, Della. But ours is not an easy profession to work a family into," Perry said matter of factly as their dinner arrived. "I suppose that's why I haven't tried very hard."

"I still have to admire his tenacity though. Just like in the courtroom, he never seems to let the losses keep him down for long."

Perry grunted in agreement as he dug into his food hungrily. He noted that Della still seemed preoccupied with the unfortunate event that had just befallen the district attorney, but he didn't pursue it. He was afraid they'd venture off into their own doubts about choosing career over family and Perry couldn't afford those doubts. He knew Della well enough to know that if it was still bothering her in a few days she'd bring it up herself.

Still, it was hard to miss the look in her gorgeous hazel eyes as she watched Hamilton pay the bill and down the rest of his wine before meandering his way to the exit.


	2. If Coffee Shop Walls Could Talk

"You're distracted today," Alexandra Mullen noted with some amusement as she took a sip of her piping hot cup of coffee. The bitter liquid warmed her up inside though she was convinced coffee smelled better than it tasted. She regarded Della with gentle patience and in Alexandra's line of work patience and being observant were necessities rather than luxuries.

Della Street started and shook her head to clear it, her face coloring with mild embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Alexandra. I've… just been thinking about someone I know. He's had a rough go of it recently in the romance department and I wish I knew how I could help."

"Without actually dating him yourself?" Alexandra teased gently. She and Della had known each other for some time as their mothers had been lifelong friends so Alexandra knew she could get away with some light teasing with Della. Still, there was a bit of an age difference between the two women so they hadn't really grown up together and Alexandra had returned to the Los Angeles area only recently. They were looking forward to spending more time getting to know each other.

"I should set the two of you up. Your work schedules seem pretty compatible from what I can tell," Della teased back, mischief lighting up those hazel eyes.

"But would he want a woman with teenagers?" Alexandra smirked, reflecting on how glad she was she'd chosen to return to Los Angeles and also for meeting up with Della in this delightful little mom and pop coffee shop. She was an outgoing, social butterfly sort of woman and she loved people, especially helping them. It was what had drawn her into the counseling profession. Many women shied away from fixups by their friends, but Alexandra liked to remain open to the possibilities. Everyone started out as strangers when they met; the catalyst for the meeting was irrelevant as far as she was concerned.

Della pondered that for a moment, sipping on her own coffee. She hadn't slept much the night before so her coffee was strong this morning with a good infusion of sugar. "He's a little rough around the edges, but deep down he's every bit a gentleman. He might."

Alexandra's aqua blue eyes lit up with surprise. "And does Mr. Rough Around the Edges have a name?"

"Hamilton. Hamilton Burger. And yes, we tease him about it sometimes," Della smiled, drawing her mug to her lips again, but stopped just short of a sip at Alexandra's sharp gasp. Setting the mug back down, Della gazed at her friend with concern. "Alexandra, what is it?"

"You know Hamilton?!" Urgency filled Alexandra's voice. "Oh my goodness, I don't know what to do here and usually I'm the one counseling others…"

Confusion knitted Della's perfectly sculpted eyebrows together. "Alexandra, please tell me what's wrong? Maybe I can help?!"

Flagging down the server, Alexandra requested a glass of ice water. She'd just had coffee, but the bombshell that Della knew Hamilton Burger practically mandated a calming glass of water. She pondered how to even start this story.

"Hamilton and I met in 1936 at a mutual friend's barbecue. George was the friend's name. They were sophomores and I was a freshman. I'd recently left my abusive boyfriend from high school and began dating Hamilton after meeting him at George's barbecue. We were together about a year when I found out I was pregnant. My ex, Darren Galloway, was also continuing to make trouble for us. I made the mistake of telling my parents about my pregnancy before telling Hamilton. My father was a psychiatrist with a stellar reputation in the area we lived. Naturally, he was mortified that I was pregnant out of wedlock and not even a shotgun wedding to Hamilton would have been enough to save his face as far as he was concerned so he packed us up and moved us to another state where no one knew who we were."

Taking a sip of the tall glass of water that had materialized in front of her, Alexandra took a long sip and set the glass back down. She stared into the clear liquid, unable to meet Della's eyes. It was obvious the situation still embarrassed her.

"It devastated me to leave Hamilton, especially without being able to tell him or explain anything to him. We were in love and had even spoken of getting married after college. My father wouldn't let me see him before we moved no matter how much I pleaded or tried to insist that Hamilton would do the right thing. I can only imagine how much my leaving without a word must have hurt Hamilton. I tried a few times to get a letter out to him. I even tried sending one to George to give to Hamilton, but my father intercepted them. I've never been very good at doing anything the sneaky way."

"What about calling him? Did you try that?" Della said, covering Alexandra's hands with her own in that comforting way she had.

Alexandra nodded. "I tried a few times, but I had to send messages through his parents since he was at school in the dorms so either they weren't delivered or Hamilton was too angry to return the calls. It was taking a great chance for me because if Hamilton did call back and my parents answered the phone before I could… He never did though so…"

The check arrived at the table and Alexandra snatched it up before Della could beat her to it and dug through her purse for the necessary cash, tossing it up onto the table for the time being while the two women continued their chat. The server returned a few moments later to collect the payment and hurried off with a delighted smile when Alexandra insisted she needed no change.

"Would you like to see him again?" Della asked cautiously. It felt like such a personal, prying question that she almost felt loathed to ask it. She almost couldn't fathom being in Alexandra's shoes and having to decide that, given the uncertainty of Hamilton's reaction after all these years. But she wanted to help her friend if she could. "I can arrange it if you'd like."

Alexandra pondered that for a moment, her pulse pounding in her ears as her heart clenched with remembered emotion. It terrified her and yet she was excited to see him again. What if he was still furious with her and wanted nothing to do with her and their child? What if he'd forgotten all about her? There were so many uncertainties both good and bad that Alexandra wasn't sure what to do. But Hamilton had a right to know what had happened all those years ago and remembering that gave her the courage to meet him again.

"If you could do that, Della, that would be wonderful. Helen is his daughter. He deserves to know that and meet her if he wants. I owe him an explanation and an apology. He'll have to decide the rest."


	3. The One That Ran Away

"Are you coming, Della?"

Luminous hazel eyes met curious blue ones as Della turned back toward her boss' deep voice. She knew Perry would be in the mood to celebrate yet another courtroom victory, but she'd have to catch up with him and Paul a bit later.

"I'll catch up with you in a little while, Perry. I'm meeting Hamilton for coffee in a few minutes. I'll explain as much as I can later, but I learned this morning that one of my casual friends knew Hamilton back in their college days. She wants to talk to him about something that happened back then and asked me to set it up."

The skilled defense attorney nodded with a slight smirk. "Well, keep on your toes, Della. I'd hate for Hamilton to try and steal you away from me now that he's in the market for a new girl."

New girl? Did he mean now that the prosecutor was single or because Hamilton was also looking for a new secretary now that Mrs. Miller was retiring soon? Della was about to clarify, but Perry had already begun making his way to the elevator with that enigmatic smile still tugging at his lips.

Della shook her head, perplexed. Several years she'd worked for that man already and occasionally she still didn't understand him, especially his sense of humor that often employed the skilled use of double meanings. The experienced secretary picked up on the double meanings, but it was harder for her to ferret out which meaning Perry meant seriously. Hamilton seemed to find that easier than she did so perhaps it was a lawyer thing or even a guy thing.

"Hmmm…," she murmured as a gentle touch on her shoulder signaled that she'd been joined by her coffee companion.

"Hmmm…," echoed Hamilton Burger, district attorney and prosecutor, one each.

"Just something Perry said in that enigmatic way he has. He jokingly warned me not to get stolen away by you during this coffee break," Della clarified.

A bright, genuine smile lit up Hamilton's face, though his voice was tinged with self deprecation. "As if I'd have the stellar fortune to have that become a reality… Lead the way. I'm quite curious to hear what it is you need to tell me."

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The cozied up in a corner booth. Della preferred booths as they were more comfortable. She also didn't want the table between them, both so she could keep her voice low and also because this conversation was going to feel too personal to have barriers between them. Hamilton was a heavy smoker though and the beautiful young brunette still found the smell made it hard to want to get too close to smokers. As fond as she was of Perry, Paul, and to a lesser extent Hamilton, she still sometimes didn't want too physically close to them after they'd just put a cigarette out.

Their orders given to the server, Hamilton looked over at Della expectantly. He didn't light up a cigarette. It just wasn't something he did sitting this close to a non smoker, especially of the female variety. He just hoped the topic of conversation wouldn't insist on that particular form of stress relief.

"So… what did you want to see me about, Della? Or are *you* looking for me to steal you away?" He teased gently. Part of him devoutly wished he could, but she had already had a job she loved, a boss she loved working for, and she deserved a better man than he was. The small ember of hope that had flickered inside him was quickly extinguished in that icy cold reality.

Della had been pondering how she was going to break this to Hamilton all day, but she found herself still stumped on the most tactful way to do it. Fortunately, the well timed arrival of their coffee gave her an extra moment as she took a cautious sip of the piping hot liquid. Hamilton waited patiently.

"This morning I had coffee with a casual friend. I hadn't seen or heard from her in years. There's a bit of an age difference so we hadn't grown up together, but I've known her because my mother and hers have been friends since they were little girls. Anyway, she just moved back to LA and I mentioned introducing her to you because I think you two have a lot in common."

"You're wanting to set me up, huh? Oh Della, you know things never work out for me, but thank you for thinking of me."

"Hamilton," Della said, laying a comforting hand on his arm. "Does the name Alexandra Mullen mean anything to you?"

The hapless prosecutor practically choked on his coffee and took the napkin Della held out to him. He didn't fail to notice the slight smirk on her face.

"Well, I'd take that as a yes," she joked.

She sobered up when his coughing fit had passed and the years of pain clouded his clear, blue eyes.

"That name means everything to me. Even after 20 years. The one that ran away. She just vanished into thin air one day, no explanation. No goodbye either." He stared down into his coffee just as he had his wine glass the night before. "For months I turned it all over in my head. Was it something I said. Or did. I couldn't pinpoint anything. I thought things were wonderful between us. I was even preparing to propose. I was absolutely gutted. Eventually though I had to move on with my life."

Silence hung between them like a dense fog for a moment with Della wishing she knew what to say to comfort him. She couldn't imagine trying to move on like that with no answers.

"Dammit, it still hurts," he murmured softly, the pain of rejection obvious in his deep voice. "Two decades later it still hurts just as bad as it did then. I've tried so hard not to look back and wonder what might have been; the family I envisioned with her. I've never stopped loving her. It's just so damned hard."

The last words were ground out with years of bitterness that Della couldn't begrudge him.

"She wants to see you, Hamilton. To explain. I know she hurt you, Hamilton, in ways that aren't easily forgivable, but she has the answers you've been searching for. It's not my place to answer for her. I'm only here to help set up a meeting between you two if you're willing to see her again."

"Of course I'm willing to see her again. I'm an attorney so naturally I want all the information. It will be painful, but the pain of answers would be much preferable to the pain of not knowing."

Della smiled. "You're such a brave man, Hamilton. I hope this time it all works out for you. She is still single, you know."

Hamilton smiled down at her with a bit of sadness, but also hope. "Well, what do you know, Della, so am I."


	4. Lover's Reunions

Deciding on a location for the little lover's reunion had taken some thought. It was almost certainly going to be fraught with deep emotions so a public spot like a park or restaurant seemed ill advised. Hamilton's office seemed too stiff and formal. Ditto for Perry's law library. In the end, Hamilton simply decided on inviting his long lost love to his own apartment. He considered making supper, but decided on a pizza instead. If things didn't go well, at least the pizza would be easily put away without the fuss of cleaning up the aftermath of cooking.

Pacing nervously now that everything was set, Hamilton could only "hurry up and wait" as was often said in the military.

A gentle tap on his door drew a sharp breath from the nervous man and his heart slammed against his chest. He felt ready to have this over with and yet he felt completely unprepared for this. He felt terrified. He still loved her and it scared him that this meeting would change so many things and not necessarily for the better. It was difficult to let go of the comfortable and familiar, even if it was painful.

As if in a daze, he felt his body wander over to open the door, but his mind and heart felt disconnected from this surreal experience. Bracing himself, he gently turned the knob and pulled the door open.

There she stood. A little older of course, but still as stunning as the day he'd first set eyes on her at George's barbecue all those years ago. Her shoulder length bob was still the light ash brown he remembered and those aqua eyes mirrored the same fear and nervousness he was feeling. She was clutching the coat in her hands like it was a lifeline and looked about to bolt like a panicked deer.

Hamilton smiled happily. He couldn't help it. That he was even able to see her again in this life was enough to bring back all the heady, happy feelings he'd felt when they'd been together. Just seeing her there at his doorstep gave him hope for the future.

"Alexandra," his voice was warm and deep. "Come in."

Instantly put at ease by the genuine smile, Alexandra let out a deep sigh of relief and smiled back. "Hamilton," she breathed as he took her coat and hung it up. "It's wonderful to see you."

"You look incredible. Still," he said. "I didn't know if you'd be hungry so I ordered a pizza. I was too nervous to cook. I'm surprised I haven't managed to burn my way through an entire pack of cigarettes after I got home."

Alexandra chuckled at that. "I've felt pretty much the same. It has been difficult for me to eat today just knowing I'd finally be able to see you again and tell you what happened."

"What did happen, Alex?" Hamilton turned serious, taking her shoulders and turning her to face him. Concern shone in his large eyes.

"I found out I was pregnant, Hamilton," Alexandra choked out, feeling her breath catch in her throat, terrified that she was about to make him furious. He had every right to be, but given what she'd endured at the hands of Darren Galloway, angry men still scared the daylights out of her.

Hamilton's eyes widened to the size of saucers as the implications of that admission. His pulse began roaring in his ears again and his head began to swim as the possibility that he had an adult child he never knew about roaming the Earth seized him in its grip.

"Oh my god, Alexandra…," he breathed, barely able to concentrate on her words as she continued. His entire world had been reduced to the child he may have helped bring into the world.

"And I made the mistake of telling my parents before telling you. My father was not only concerned about his reputation since I was pregnant out of wedlock, but he also feared that the baby was Darren's as a result of the rape. He didn't know that you and I had been together… that way. At least not then. He forbade me from seeing you, even to say goodbye, fearing that if I stayed behind with you or remained in contact that Darren would find me through you somehow. I pleaded with my parents; tried all I could to convince them you'd do the right thing, but they wouldn't listen. Then he packed us up and moved us to Idaho."

Tears fell onto her cheeks now as she continued to push on through the rest.

"I tried writing to you, but my father intercepted the letters. I called your parents house hoping they'd pass a message on to you. You never called back so I figured either they didn't tell you or you were too angry with me to want to."

"I wasn't told anything, Alex. I've waited 20 years to hear about any of this." Pulling his handkerchief from his pocket, he handed it to her and pulled her close.

Alexandra's head settled gratefully on Hamilton's chest, his racing heartbeat still more comfortable to hear than her own voice. Suddenly, she lifted her head as if remembering something.

"I'll get makeup on your shirt…," she murmured in self reproach.

"I can afford another one if it doesn't come out. Don't even worry about it, sweetheart. But the pregnancy… the baby, Alex?! Did you have it?"

She nodded as she relaxed against him again. "A girl. I named her Helen; something with an H after you. She's so much like you, right down to her facial expressions. She made my heart ache for you so many times. Would you like to meet her?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

They were silent for a long moment. In the back of Hamilton's mind he wondered why he didn't feel angrier than he was. Perhaps he was still in shock and anger would set in later. Perhaps he was just grateful to have some answers now.

"Alex, why didn't you try to look me up after you left home?" He asked curiously.

"I was afraid that I'd find that you'd moved on. Married with the family that I wanted with you. Afraid that if that was the case, I'd ruin things for you by barging back into your life with a kid you knew nothing about. I didn't want to mess things up for you if you'd moved on."

"I never found the right woman, Alex, because the right woman vanished to Idaho 20 years ago."

"And now that she's come back?"

Hamilton pondered that for a long moment. "I need a few days to let this sink in, Alex. And to meet my daughter. I still love you more than anything, but I don't want to rush into anything until I've at least done that. I promise I won't make you wait long though."

"Not like I did you, huh?" Came the tearful chuckle.

"I don't know what the future is going to hold for us, Alex, but I forgive you. I remember what your father was like and I know that couldn't have been an easy situation for you. And I know you had to put our daughter's well being first. Your father certainly had the means to care for you both when I was still in school. That's probably why my own parents didn't tell me. I can't imagine they would have been thrilled if I'd chosen to drop out of school in favor of work and supporting a family. But you can be damned sure I would have done whatever it took had I known then."

Alexandra wrapped her arms around him and gave him a grateful squeeze. This hadn't been as awkward as she'd been dreading, but with Hamilton and Helen still to meet, they were a long ways from becoming a family.


	5. Unexpected Guests

Alexandra had every intention of introducing father and daughter under controlled circumstances. Life however preferred random variables and games of chance; and those seemed to trump carefully planned arrangements whenever possible, much to Alexandra's eternal frustration. Though she had only just told Hamilton about his daughter, she had never hidden the truth about Hamilton from Helen. And if she could have predicted impulsive Helen's plans for that day, she might have exercised more restraint in sharing the revelation of Hamilton's desire to meet his only child.

Alexandra checked her watch for the fiftieth time in the last fifteen minutes as she followed Della up to Perry Mason's office. The two women had met for coffee again, but the line had been longer than usual so they'd grabbed their orders to go so Della wouldn't be late for work.

"Is it unusual for Helen to be so late or not show up at all?" Della asked curiously as they wandered into Perry's office.

"For the most part, yes," Alexandra responded as if unable to believe her daughter's tardiness as well. "Once in a blue moon, I'll have an issue with her getting a wild hair and doing something impulsive, but rarely."

Sitting at his desk, the raven haired defense attorney looked up with an amused smirk at the smell of coffee and the sound of conversation.

"Don't worry, chief, we brought you some too," Della reassured him, setting a cup in front of him and passing the sugar over to him first.

"Well, I must say I like the service around here," Perry joked, inhaling and savoring the delightful aroma of coffee. "But who's your guest?"

Della glanced over at Alexandra, who raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at Della, indicating for Della to make introductions.

"Oh I'm sorry, Perry. We were so busy chatting about her daughter… Perry, this is my friend, Alexandra Mullen. Alexandra, my boss and good friend, Perry Mason.

"A pleasure," Alexandra smiled warmly.

"Likewise," Perry responded. "So, did I overhear correctly that there's an errant child on the loose?"

Alexandra sighed. "In a manner of speaking. Said child is of the 'just turned 18 years old' variety and is supposed to be meeting her father for the first time tonight. Given her failure to appear for coffee with me and Della this morning, I suspect she's decided to do her own thing. I should have just stayed home and brought her with me, but I had an errand I wanted to get out of the way early. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 as they say."

Della frowned up at Alexandra as she stirred her coffee. "Do you think she might have looked her father up this morning rather than wait for tonight?"

"It's possible. She's been curious about him since she was little and I've never withheld information about him from her so she has enough information to find him on her own if she really wanted to," the other woman shrugged helplessly. "She wanted to visit the university as well today so she may have run off to do that instead. Still, it's not like her to not leave a note or something if she changes her mind about meeting me somewhere, which makes me suspect she's up to something that she knows I'm not going to like."

"If you're worried about her, I could ask my private detective to try and locate her?" Perry suggested.

"Thanks. If it gets to be much later in the day without hearing from her, I might take you up on that. She's got a pretty good head on her shoulders, but Los Angeles is very new to her."

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"Mom's not gonna like this…," Helen Mullen reminded herself as if it was even remotely possible that the knowledge would talk her out of her current course of action. She'd praised herself, just barely an adult, for having located her long lost father's workplace in this strange, bustling city.

She was dressed professionally, similarly to how her mother often dressed for her work as a counselor and marriage and family therapist. Her red hair was put up in a loose chignon and her makeup light and tasteful. A quarter sleeve blouse and a knee length pencil skirt in neutral colors flattered her youthful, curvy figure. The sounds of her kitten heels echoed off the walls, but were nearly drowned out by the nervous pounding of her heart in her ears. For so long, she'd wanted to meet this man that her mother had talked so fondly about. Helen couldn't fault her mother for being honest and open about the girl's father. She'd always answered Helen's questions. Sometimes Helen felt it was a double edged sword. It was difficult to be angry with a man who hadn't even been told she existed. But Helen was also worried that maybe after all the build up, she'd find her father lacking in her eyes. Or what if he didn't like her? Or want her? Why did it even matter to her what he thought of her? He'd never even known of her existence until now and they had yet to meet.

A bench out in the hallway across from the main door that led to the receptionist's desk welcomed her as she pondered her next course of action. She had made it this far so it seemed a waste to leave without attempting to meet this man. Still, it would be easier said than done even if she did muster the courage to forge on. There would be the proverbial guardians, red tape, and barricades she'd have to overcome to even be allowed back near Mr. Burger's actual office. The secretary would no doubt have to interrogate her about what she wanted to see the district attorney for and would learn it was for personal reasons that could wait until the evening.

Her spirits sank as she thought this over and she chastised herself for being so impulsive. It was the beginning of his work day and he was no doubt too busy to spend much time with her until that evening even if the secretary allowed her back. She'd just be rushing and cheapening their first meeting by being so impatient.

Standing, she adjusted her purse over her shoulder and sighed with a longing gaze toward the door across the hall. For a moment, she teetered on indecision, but the echoing sounds of approaching footsteps jarred her from her conflicting impulses. Excited and so impatient was she to meet the man who was her biological father.

Deciding against forcing the issue, Helen rounded the corner to her left, nearly colliding with a well dressed, short and stocky man with slicked back white hair.

"Oh, excuse me, miss!" He said, cheer in his voice as he looked up.

Helen smiled warmly, her face coloring with embarrassment. "No, excuse me, sir. My fault. I heard you coming so I should have been paying more attention. I'm just… preoccupied."

Tragg studied her closely. Her features and coloring instantly reminded him of Hamilton Burger, whom he worked so closely with so much of the time. She'd apparently been hanging out in front of the DA's office or had just left there so maybe she was in trouble or had seen something she needed to report or maybe she was a relative that Burger had failed to mention might show up.

"Well, anything I can help you with? I was just on my way to visit the DA," the aging man threw out there, obviously fishing and hoping to reel something in. "I'm Lieutenant Tragg."

"Helen, Lieutenant. I'm… a relative of Mr. Burger's, but he's not expecting me. I am supposed to meet him later tonight, but I got carried away and wanted to see him now. I thought better of disturbing him when I got here and was just about to leave."

"Relative you say… niece perhaps?"

"Daughter, sir."

Tragg's eyes widened at the completely unexpected revelation. In all the years, Tragg had worked with Hamilton Burger, the younger man had never mentioned any children.

"My mother just told him about me last night," Helen clarified, inferring the reason for the old man's surprise.

"Ah… well that explains why Hamilton has been so distracted the last few days. Come with me," Tragg said, cupping her elbow in a strong hand and leading her back toward the DA's office.

"Are you sure?!" Helen's breath caught in her throat. She could hardly believe it, but she wasn't any closer to knowing what to say when the kind old lieutenant escorted her back there.

"Positive. The sooner he meets you, the sooner he can focus on his work again. He's been a nervous wreck since the other night."

Helen chuckled as she happily accompanied Tragg through the door. "Well, that makes both of us."

"She's with me," he told the secretary as she looked up to greet whoever had entered the office. The older woman looked puzzled, but Tragg was a common fixture in the DA's office and he'd been a trusted presence in law enforcement for decades so she didn't challenge him and went back to her work. Though she had to admit she was curious about the young woman he had toted in with him.


	6. Like Father Like Daughter

"Come," Burger called, looking up from the case notes he was going over.

Tragg entered Burger's office with a cat that ate the canary grin. "Good morning, Mr. Prosecutor."

"Good morning, Tragg!" Burger grinned expectantly at Tragg's chipper demeanor. He took a sip of his coffee, figuring Tragg's good mood was about to reveal something beneficial for his current case. "Have good news for me?"

Tragg clasped his hands together in front of him. He didn't bother removing his hat as he didn't expect to be here long. "Well, I'm not sure actually. You see, I uh… found something in the hall that I believe belongs to you."

Burger immediately checked his pockets for his wallet and his keys, panic surging through him. They were both right where he expected to find them. He scanned Tragg's hands to find them empty and his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Alright, Tragg. Out with it," Burger said sternly, rapidly losing his sense of humor. He hadn't meant for his tone to be so harsh, but the recent upheaval of his personal life had left him distracted and impatient.

"Any children, Hamilton?" Delighted amusement tinged Tragg's voice. He didn't take the prosecutor's tone personally. They'd worked together for so long that Tragg knew a stressed Hamilton Burger often sounded snappy and wasn't anything personal.

Hamilton's eyebrows shot for his hairline and his blue eyes widened as Tragg's words hit him full force in the gut. He hadn't had the chance to mention Helen yet to Tragg so that could only mean that his daughter had been what Tragg found in the hall.

He sucked in a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly. "I was supposed to meet my daughter for the first time tonight… She's here?!"

Tragg nodded, still obviously very amused by the whole situation. There was something about neat and tidy Hamilton Burger with a long lost child that tickled the old homicide investigator. It wasn't that he wished this sort of stress or pain on the DA. Quite the opposite actually. But there was something about learning that cautious, play by the rules Hamilton Burger had a past that was punctuated with a few impulsive decisions like everyone else filled Tragg with savage glee.

"Ran into her out in the hall. Well almost. She was uh… weighing all her facts carefully. Like someone else I know."

Burger shook his head and chuckled at his friend's good natured jab. He rubbed his eyes wearily for a moment, trying to process that his own flesh and blood waited just outside his office door, apparently as eager to meet him as he was her.

"Alright Tragg, let her in. And let the girls know I'm not to be disturbed unless it's an emergency. I'll let them know when it's okay again."

Opening the door again, Tragg nodded to the nervous young woman waiting patiently out in the hall and gestured for her to go in.

Hamilton stood in anticipation, letting out the deep breath he'd been holding. It still seemed unreal to him and his head swam in disbelief. A daughter. His daughter. What could he even say to her? Why was she even bothering with him? He could only imagine how angry he'd be with an absent father. Maybe that's why she was here? To give him a piece of her mind and she'd be justified. At best he could really only call himself a sperm donor.

So often the right words and the correct phrasing were necessary in his profession, particularly in the courtroom, but he feared they would elude him here when they mattered the most to this young woman he'd created with his beloved Alexandra.

Her heeled footsteps sounded in concert with his pounding heart. Appearing in the doorway, she stood before him; young and vibrant and beautiful and taking his breath away just like her mother had the night before. He couldn't deny the resemblance to himself though.

Tragg slipped out the door behind her unnoticed as father and daughter regarded each other, both scarcely able to believe this moment had finally come. Helen was the first to break the deafening silence after hearing the door softly click closed behind her.

"Dad?" She breathed shakily, as if testing her voice for the first time. Unshed tears misted her light blue eyes. She could scarcely believe it. All her life she'd imagined him as her mother had described him; warm, sincere, and understanding. Now the moment had come that she might finally get to experience that herself; and develop some sort of father/daughter bond with the man that her mother had left her heart with almost two decades ago.

"Hello, sweetheart," Hamilton smiled warmly. "It's about time, huh?"

All of Helen's worries and nervousness vanished at the genuine warmth in her father's welcome and her joyful smile brightened the room as the tears, now ones of joy, spilled onto her cheeks. A fierce hug accompanied them.

Chuckling, Hamilton returned the hug before pulling a handkerchief from his pocket just as he had for her mother, Alexandra the night before. He offered it to his little girl and she dabbed at the tears.

"I apologize if I've interrupted your work. I know we were supposed to meet tonight, but I couldn't wait. I just had to meet you."

"Not to worry, kiddo," he reassured her, rubbing her back comfortingly. "You come first, alright?"

Helen nodded, still mopping up tears. "Mom is going to rake me over the coals for this stunt though…," she chuckled ruefully, not wanting to imagine the fate her mother would have in store for her when she found out about Helen barging in on her father unannounced at work like this.

Burger chuckled along with his daughter, remembering full well the wrath of Alexandra Mullen. But now he was a seasoned prosecutor rather than a college student just getting his feet wet and he'd been in his fair share of relationships as well.

"I'll handle your mother, sweetheart. How does that sound?"

"It sounds like you sound like a dad already," she laughed.

For once, Hamilton Burger had no objection.


	7. Like An Old Married Couple

Burger glanced up at his clock, hedging on what to do with the rest of the morning. He'd be facing off against his old rival Perry Mason in court that afternoon, but there was nothing pressing on his schedule for the morning.

"I apologize, dad." The word 'dad' sounded strange to her ears. She'd never had an opportunity to call anyone that before. She stood and reached for her purse. "It was selfish of me to barge in like this. I should let you go so you can get back to work."

Hamilton's eyes widened at that. He wasn't ready to be parted from his daughter yet and he stood with her, preparing his case to talk her out of it. Snapping up the phone receiver he buzzed his secretary and put a hand up indicating for Helen to wait.

"I know this is the two minute warning, Ms. Miller, but I'm going to be out of the office for the rest of the morning. I have court in the afternoon so I may not be back in the office until tomorrow morning."

The district attorney hung the phone up after leaving instructions for how to contact him if something urgent required his attention before court; and then he smiled up at his pleasantly surprised daughter.

"I'm all yours, sweetheart. For the morning anyway. I suppose we should track down your mother and let her know you're safe and sound," Burger said, grabbing his coat and hat off the rack and getting the door for Helen.

"She said she was going to meet Della, Perry Mason's secretary for coffee this morning. That was where I was supposed to meet them, except I came here instead," Helen admitted, biting her lower lip. Her mother was no doubt worried sick and Helen knew it had been an awful thing to do to her.

"Then let's start there. Though as thrilled as I am to see you, Helen, you know what you've done to your mother was wrong and probably has scared the living daylights out of her, right?"

Suddenly, the floor had become rather interesting to the chagrined young woman. "I know. I'm kind of impulsive and impatient at times and sometimes it gets the best of me."

"Chip off the ol' block, huh?" Burger chuckled. "Believe me, you come by it honestly, but still, we don't want to be scaring your mom like this, okay? Now let's get out of here."

Burger led the way to his car, noting with some irony how much like him Helen seemed to be even though he hadn't been there to help raise her. Even more interesting was how easily and comfortably he'd seemed to have assumed the role of a father in just that morning. Shouldn't this first meeting have been more awkward between him and young Helen. Or was fate finally smiling on the hapless prosecutor by giving him a case he could actually win? He'd have to thank Alexandra for paving the way for him to have a good relationship with their child. Now if he could just find a way to have a lasting, renewed relationship with Alexandra.

Sure, it felt like he was moving a little fast, but hey, he wasn't getting any younger…

W^^^W^^^W

As luck would have it, Hamilton Burger bumped into Paul Drake just coming off the elevator that lead up to Perry Mason's office. Drake took note of the young woman with the district attorney and the resemblance to the same and gave Burger a warning look.

"If she's who I think she is, she's in for an earful from her mother upstairs," Paul said in that "just so you know" way he had.

"Is she still up in Mason's office?" Burger asked, shooting Helen an "I told you so" look.

Helen swallowed hard and tried a wan smile on Drake that prompted only a cynical "good luck" to Helen and a simple "yep" to Burger before Drake continued on his way out of the building.

They had no issues getting passed Gertie as Mason's receptionist knew full well to be on the lookout for a young woman answering Helen's description. Seeing such a woman with Burger, Gertie just waved them on into Mason's office.

"Well, I see the lost has been found…," Alexandra said, mock cheerfully from the table as Helen poked her head around the door and reluctantly entered the room with Burger nudging her from behind.

"And it appears that your theory was right on the money, Alexandra," Mason smirked. "Hello, Helen."

Helen ducked her head, a bit embarrassed that she was going to hear about it in front of others. "Hello, Mr. Mason. And am I that predictable?"

"Only to those who knew your father before you," Alexandra teased, though her expression was still pretty serious. Inwardly, she'd been terrified that something might have happened to Helen, but she didn't want Helen to see that just yet.

Mason caught the look out of his peripheral vision and wondered if he could let some of the tension out of the room. "You gave your mother quite a scare this morning, Helen."

Helen glanced up at Hamilton, who she was hanging close to. "Dad already scolded me, Mr. Mason."

She turned to her mother who was waiting expectantly. "I'm sorry, mom. I guess I got carried away."

"Or something. You need to learn patience and restraint though. One of these days that's going to land you in real trouble."

Burger put up his hand to stop Alexandra before it turned into the lecture he saw coming. If Helen was anything like him, she'd tune her mother out in T minus 10 seconds.

"Alright, Alex. I think she's been scolded by enough people today. You should have seen the look Paul gave her when we bumped into him downstairs."

The striking brunette stopped as Burger indicated, but she gave him a withering look. "Hamilton, you can't be serious?! Letting her off the hook that easily? Something bad could have happened to her out there. You should be with me on this."

"I am with you on this and I did say something to her. All I'm saying is this was obviously a big deal to her and I think that should be considered before biting her head off."

Alexandra didn't look convinced and was about to plead her case further when Burger strode over to her and gently guided her into the law library where they could continue in private.

"Is that what an old married couple sounds like?" Helen wondered aloud.

Perry and Della glanced at each other with knowing and hopeful smiles. Old married couple seemed to really agree with Hamilton Burger. Fatherhood too.


	8. Lover's Tango

"Awww, mom…," Helen whined in disappointment. She popped the last bite of pork chop in her mouth. "Why can't I come along?"

It had been three days since their little family had reunited and most of that time had been spent with Helen or discussing what would be best for her. Even that early evening had been spent out to dinner with Tragg and Perry's crew after court. But it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Hamilton and Alexandra were itching to spend some time alone together.

Della gave Helen a sympathetic glance. It was plain to see how much young Helen yearned to spend more time getting to know her father, but she empathized with Hamilton and Alexandra as well. A second chance at love was rare and if Helen's parents could stoke up the old flames once more, Helen could only benefit.

"You'll have all of Saturday and Sunday to spend with us, Helen, I promise. Your father and I want to spend some time together. Alone," Alexandra in that tone she used when she was done discussing something.

"But you're going dancing, which is fun!"

"You'll get no argument from me there," Alexandra smiled over the rim of her coffee mug, though her light blue eyes were ice with warning about being pressed further.

"You can ballroom dance, but can dad?" Helen asked curiously. Her mind seized on the possibility that maybe they were just headed out somewhere to sway in each other's arms kind of dance as opposed to the ballroom, latin, and swing dancing her mother used to teach in the evenings back in Idaho. Without a significant other of her own to hold onto the former wouldn't have been fun after all and she reconsidered her plea to tag along.

That possibility that Hamilton could dance got the attention of the entire group as all eyes focused on the district attorney expectantly. Dancing was popular, but not everyone knew how to ballroom dance and not a one at that table would have pegged Hamilton Burger as someone who could seriously "cut a rug."

Della caught the amused, but fond sideways glance that Alexandra gave Hamilton though and her eyes widened in amused surprise. "Hamilton?" the hazel eyed beauty prodded.

Hamilton leaned back in his chair, his face coloring to nearly the same hue as his hair at the unexpected attention and he glanced down, not quite sure how to admit to it without seeming arrogant or something else he couldn't quite pinpoint. Even though he did know how to dance, he didn't consider himself all that worth watching and less still, an attractive figure on the dance floor.

"Alexandra taught me some when we were in college. I suppose I can dance a little," he reluctantly admitted. "It's been ages though so I'm sure I've forgotten most of it."

Alexandra swatted him on the arm. "He's being modest. He was a quick learner and we actually entered in a few local dance competitions believe it or not."

Burger groaned. "You just can't help yourself, can you?" He asked Alexandra, knowing full well what her answer was going to be.

She confirmed it with her biggest Cheshire cat grin.

"Now this I have to see," Mason teased. He was only partly joking though for part of him really, really wanted to tag along with the couple now for the sole purpose of seeing this with his own two eyes.

Burger's already large eyes widened in horror at the implication that he and Alexandra might indeed wind up with an audience of friends watching them. He sighed in resignation at the table full of curious expressions.

"Did you win?" Della asked, curious about the aforementioned dance competitions.

Alexandra shook her head. "We didn't win, though we placed a few times. We were just competing at the amateur level anyway. We did it for fun mostly. And Hamilton was naturally competitive anyway."

Perry smirked at Hamilton knowingly. "We've uh… come up against his competitive streak a few times anyway."

"Alright, fine. You can all come along, but Helen, we're serious. Your mom and I need some time alone together so you can't hang out with us all night," Burger said with finality.

Helen visibly brightened. This was an aspect of her parents' relationship that she hadn't known about and excitement bubbled up inside of her at the opportunity to see them dance together.

"How do I let myself get talked into this stuff, huh?" Burger shook his head, but looked over to Alexandra and grinned. Audience or not, he was looking forward to dancing with Alexandra in his arms again.

"So who all's coming?" Paul asked, putting out his cigarette.

"I really should go home, being old and needing my beauty sleep and all that, but I wouldn't miss this for the world," Tragg said with more than a little more sadistic glee.

"Well in that case…" Perry began with a smirk, noting all the affirmative nods at the table. "Hamilton, you lead."


	9. Good Intentions

Current trends in dancing were seeing a departure from traditional ballroom dancing. Helen's generation was gravitating away from the beautiful, but restrained partnered dances their parents and grandparents enjoyed and moving toward more upbeat styles such as swing and rock and roll. Still, Alexandra hadn't found it too difficult to find a club that still catered to ballroom dancers.

Helen had been exposed to ballroom dancing through her mother whose passion for it inspired her to teach lessons for the fun of it. The young woman always enjoyed watching her mother dance and had even learned some of it herself, but in this case she felt almost desperate to. She knew it was because this time it was her mother and father and not just her mother. But what was she hoping to see? Her mother often said that "in dance the body tells no lies" so perhaps she was hoping to glimpse whether or not her parents still had feelings for each other. They seemed comfortable with each other in all their interactions so far. Well, except for the other day when her father moved her mother into Perry's law library to continue their disagreement in private, but still that hadn't seemed uncomfortable between them, just more intense.

Still, why did she care so much if they still felt anything for each other. After 18 years, it seemed ridiculous and unrealistic to hope that their feelings for each other hadn't changed or even died completely. Sure, they'd insisted several times in the last few days that they wanted some alone time soon, but Helen was sure it was just to catch up and talk about what was best for her. Even though it would thrill her to no end for her parents to get back together, Helen was convinced it wouldn't happen and so she hadn't interpreted their desire for time without her to be anything romantic.

Helen excused herself to the ladies' room before they relocated to whichever club her mother had managed to ferret out. When she emerged to wash her hands, she found Della waiting patiently with that sisterly air about her. Even at her young age, Helen could tell when someone wanted to discuss something sensitive with her even if Helen herself wasn't sure what about. Helen didn't wish to be rude, but she'd found that most of the time in these instances the other person fumbled for the right words and she found that what often worked to get things going was to just admit she knew sort of why they were there.

"What am I doing wrong?" She asked bluntly, but without attitude coloring her voice. She lathered her hands in soap and thrust them under the faucet she'd turned on, enjoying the hot water for a long moment.

Della's eyes widened in surprise, but she did let out a little breath in relief.

"I wouldn't call it wrong exactly," Della said gently. "It's just… well, Helen, you're very young and I'm not sure you're realizing what's happening between your mother and father. I know that you just met your father and you want to spend all your time with him right now, but they're asking for some time alone so they can explore things between them as a couple too. They just need a little space, Helen."

Tears clouded Helen's blue eyes and she cast her gaze downwards at the hands she'd been washing for much longer than necessary. She was always hard on herself when she had to be chastised, especially when she didn't realize she was doing anything wrong or inappropriate.

"I guess I'm not seeing what you are. I want to," she said, fighting valiantly to blink back the tears that threatened. She hated it when people saw her cry. "I guess I'm afraid to. I've dreamed about it for so long that I guess I'm afraid to see it. What if it doesn't work out or it's just my imagination or something?"

Della pondered her response, wanting desperately to reassure the young women. She understood that this was a very emotional, highly vulnerable time for Helen so she didn't want to offer her empty promises. Still, she needed to raise Helen's spirits and offer some measure of comfort.

"Helen, no one can guarantee what's going to happen in the future. What I can tell you is that watching your parents the last few days, I see nothing but love and affection between them. Even Perry and Paul have noticed it. Your parents just need a little time alone. I know it's hard because you want to be around your father a lot right now, but a little time to themselves may pave the way for a deeper, more permanent arrangement if things work out."

Drying off her hands, Helen mulled over what to do about that evening. She knew Della didn't mean to make her feel this way, but now she felt extremely uncomfortable accompanying them to the dance club. Without realizing it, Helen had tried to fit in where she didn't belong; like a square peg in a round hole. As usual. She hadn't meant to crowd her folks; she just wanted to be with them. She supposed it was partly due to loneliness. Her high school friends were back in Idaho or moved on to other colleges and she was new to Los Angeles and working on being accepted to a local law school. She was sure she'd make a few friends once she started school again.

"You're right, Della. Thanks. I think I'll go home after all. I have a headache anyway."

"Helen, wait," Della stopped her with a hand on the young blonde's arm. "They said you were welcome to go with them. Why don't you go since you want to? I only wanted you to consider that they might be trying to see each other romantically, that's all."

"I know, Della, and I appreciate that. I just don't comfortable going now is all. I hope everyone has a great evening though," Helen said, leaving the ladies' room and a perplexed Della Street in her wake. Della didn't usually question the wisdom of her actions, but in this case her good intentions hadn't produced the desired effect. She certainly hadn't meant to discourage Helen from going out dancing with the group after dinner.

She sighed, not knowing how she was going to explain Helen's disappearance when she went back to their table.


	10. Dancing the Night Away

Della returned to their table a bit chagrined and unsure of what she was going to say about Helen. The young woman's chair was still empty so it appeared that Helen had followed through on her abrupt decision to go home.

"Everything alright, Della?" Perry asked.

"Let's just say it didn't go as smoothly as I'd envisioned. All I wanted was to clarify that her parents were trying to go out on a date, but I think I accidentally made Helen feel embarrassed about wanting to spend so much time with her parents. She said she felt uncomfortable going dancing with them now and wanted to go home instead. I guess I shouldn't have said anything to her."

Della sighed and set her purse down beside her once again. She looked over at Hamilton and Alexandra. "If it was my fault I apologize. I certainly hadn't meant to run her off."

"And too bad too," Drake said with disappointment, putting out another cigarette. "She's a pretty girl. I can't say I'd have minded a few dances with her myself."

Tragg's smile widened with savage glee as he caught the horrified dismay widening Burger's eyes. Hot headed Hamilton Burger with a pretty daughter was going to provide many occasions of revolting entertainment and Tragg hoped he was there to see it all.

"That's my little girl you're talking about like that, Paul!" Hamilton exclaimed, sitting up ramrod straight as if about to leap from his chair like a panther on its prey.

"What?! She's gorgeous, so sue me! Would you rather I said she looked like you?" Paul fired back teasingly.

"If I catch you with her, Paul, so help me, I'll…"

Alexandra laid a calming hand on Hamilton's arm with an amused glance, but reassured Della. "Not to worry, Della. Helen can be oversensitive at times. She's always tried so hard to be a good kid that I think she gets hard on herself when she makes a mistake. She'll be alright in a day or two. And honestly, I feel a little selfish asking for time alone with Hamilton when Helen has never known the man, but he and I have so much to discuss and some of that has to do with Helen's future too."

Simmering next to Alexandra, Hamilton caught Mason watching him with that infuriating smirk on his handsome face. No sooner did the prosecutor have to adjust to fatherhood practically overnight, but he had to absorb in the same amount of time the idea that there would be men trying to date his daughter or worse. And given what had happened to Alexandra at about the same age as Helen was, Hamilton knew just what could happen to his only child.

"So are we headed out or what?" Drake asked, hoping to change the subject so Hamilton would have a reason to cease glaring daggers at him.

W^^^W^^^W

"So what should we start off with," Hamilton asked Alexandra as they secured a table. Surprisingly, Tragg had decided to accompany them. He didn't typically go out much as his wife had passed along with his oldest son long ago, the victims of a gruesome murder. The experience of course had been a life changing one and Tragg had thrown himself into his work as a policeman, struggling to raise his remaining three children as a single father. They were grown now and Tragg had never found the time to date again and remarry. In this particular instance though, he couldn't resist the opportunity to see Burger ballroom dance as Alexandra claimed he could.

Alexandra thought about that a moment. "What do you think you remember? If it's been that long perhaps we should start with something easier? Foxtrot perhaps? If you remember a few of the basic patterns of the Viennese Waltz we could start with that too."

Hamilton grinned in that infectious way he had. "Don't think I could handle a Quickstep after all these years, huh?"

"I'm all for it if you think you remember it," Alexandra assured him.

"Come on," he said, leading her out onto the dance floor and pulling her close. "I want to hold you for a few minutes before we get fancy."

Gently swaying to the slow music, Hamilton inhaled the soft fragrance of her hair and perfume and thanked whatever deities existed for leading Alexandra back to him.

"I've missed you, Alex," he murmured. Some part of his mind registered that the rest of the gang had arrived at their table and were watching him and Alexandra curiously.

She squeezed him gently, wrapping her arms around him and savoring the comfortable feeling of being in his strong arms again.

Paul Drake dropped himself into the chair next to Perry. "After all the hype, that's all they're gonna do?! Dance like everybody else?!"

"I think they're waiting for the next song to come up," Della supplied.

"Do you think Burger would really hunt me down if I asked Helen out?" Paul asked.

"Legally there isn't anything he can do to stop you since she's a legal adult," Perry said matter of factly. "Still… she is very young, Paul. Are you sure the age difference wouldn't be a problem? You two may not have very much in common."

"Say it does work out," Tragg smirked. "Imagine Hamilton Burger as your father in law."

"Good point," Paul acknowledged as he ordered a drank from the server wandering by. "Anyone else? Drinks are on me tonight."

"Oh well in that case…," Mason brightened smirked, deciding to take Paul up on that offer and putting in a drink order with the server as well.

Della shook her head at Perry with a smile.

"What?" That mischievous smirk again.

"You just weren't going to let that slide by, were you? Paul buying this time."

"It may be my only chance," Perry teased.

At that moment, the song changed and several of the couples who had been on the floor took the opportunity to meander back to their tables for a break. This worked out for Hamilton and Alexandra who hadn't been quite sure how they were going to work in any ballroom dancing on such a crowded dance floor. The steps and patterns in ballroom dancing were usually rather big and could cover the floor so having some space was necessary. With the latin dances this aspect wasn't as crucial.

They listened to the new song for a moment when Hamilton looked to Alexandra for confirmation. "Viennese Waltz?"

She grinned, impressed. "You remember. Now let's see if you actually remember how to dance it."

"Challenge accepted," he grinned back as they set up. "Let's see Perry do this…"

"I see you haven't lost your competitive streak," Alexandra noted with some amusement as Hamilton led her through the first basic patterns in the Viennese Waltz to warm them up. "Are you sure you haven't been practicing. You're doing really well so far for someone claiming to not have danced like this since the last time you saw me."

"I still remember how to do other things too," he teased back and laughed when he was rewarded with a gentle swat on the arm.

"One thing at a time, Mr. District Attorney," she admonished teasingly, though her eyes suggested she was thinking along similar lines.


	11. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**Head's up, this chapter, while not super duper explicit, has some mature themes.**

"Well that was a close call!" Alexandra laughed excitedly as Hamilton ushered her through the front door of his house. "I hadn't expected that Perry and Della knew a little bit of ballroom dancing too."

"I've learned the hard way that Perry Mason knows just about a little of everything," Hamilton groused good-naturedly as he flipped on the light. "Well, here we are. It's just been me all this time so nothing spectacular."

Alexandra set her purse down by the door and let Hamilton help her with her coat. Her heart thumped against her chest in nervous anticipation. The sexual tension had flared up between them early in the evening, threatening to ignite in some fiery inferno later when their bodies pressed against each other as they danced. Now they were finally alone and both understood body and soul where the night was headed.

"Will Helen be alright alone tonight?" Hamilton asked as he hung Alexandra's coat up and then turned back to her, gently wrapping his arms around her. He wasn't nervous. At all. That surprised Alexandra who remembered a young Hamilton Burger who wasn't as sure of himself then as he was now that he was a successful and seasoned attorney. He fairly radiated confidence and charisma now and stood strong and tall. Alexandra found herself very powerfully attracted to him.

She nodded and rested her hands on his chest. They shared a long look before Alexandra busied herself with untying his bow tie. "She's 18 so she's a grown woman now and she's been home alone before. She should be fine."

One by one, Alexandra slipped the buttons of his pristine white shirt through the tiny holes. Only the sound of their breathing filled the silent living room until she gently tugged his shirt out of his black pants so she could get at the remaining buttons.

"You look amazing in a tux, by the way," she whispered into his ear with a smirk. "I'm almost sorry I'm taking it off."

Hamilton chuckled, his voice deepening with desire as his lips found hers in a sudden, searing kiss. "I'm afraid I'd have to object to that if you stopped now."

"Who said anything about stopping?" She quipped. "You know I always finish what I start."

Finding the fastenings of her dress, Hamilton undid them and the silky, teal gown pooled at their feet. Alexandra averted her eyes, feeling his gaze roam over her body appreciatively. She had to confess to some self consciousness about her appearance, but she didn't wish to ruin the mood by vocalizing it. It was just that pregnancy had changed her body so she didn't look quite the same as she had the last time she and Hamilton had been together. Her hips had broadened considerably and then there were the unsightly, but significantly faded stretch marks and varicose veins.

Hamilton noticed how she looked away and he tipped her chin up to look at him. Somehow he felt he had a pretty good idea what was bothering her and he wanted to put it out of her mind. Of course he was aware that it sometimes happened; that a man would make his woman feel embarrassed about her post baby body. Still, it seemed unfathomable to him that a man would do that after all that a woman sacrificed to give him a child.

"Alex, look at me. You're beautiful. And Helen is perfect. I couldn't be happier."

She gasped softly in surprise as the district attorney gently lifted her in his arms and carried her back to his bedroom. He deposited her gently on the bed and then shrugged out of the tux jacket and the white shirt and tossed them over a chair. He wasn't overly concerned with hanging them up as he planned on having them cleaned anyway.

Rejoining his lover on the bed, he helped her pull the pins out of her updo so that the soft, brown strands would fall about her shoulders and be more comfortable for her against the pillows.

"Please don't vanish on me again, Alexandra. I don't think my heart could take it a second time," Hamilton murmured in her ear before raining gentle kisses along her neck and collarbone.

That admission showcased the man's vulnerability. That he was still willing to be so open and vulnerable with her now touched Alexandra so much that she gasped softly as much from his heartfelt words as she did from the soft, gentle kisses he was showering her with.

She shivered. "Hamilton…"

W^^^W^^^W

"So who is willing to bet that the inestimable district attorney will be in such a good mood tomorrow that not even losing to Perry Mason for the 1000th time in a row will break the spell?" Drake asked.

"Or too tired to care?" Perry smirked.

"Maybe they're just worn out from dancing and plan on sleeping?" Della countered, knowing full well what the two men were speculating.

"With a woman that looks like Alexandra?" Paul eyed Della with disbelief. "As much energy as Burger has flailing about the courtroom during one of Perry's "courtroom pyrotechnics" as he calls them, I'm sure the man can pull at least one all nighter with a woman."

"You men are unbelievable sometimes," Della shook her head with a laugh. "Speculating about other people's personal lives…"

"That reminds me… Now that Burger is preoccupied with Alexandra, I think I'll go hunt up Helen and see if she still wants to go out!"

"Good idea, Paul. Especially since Burger may be too tired tomorrow to hunt you down," Perry grinned evilly.

Della just stared after Paul's retreating back as he made his way to his car and dropped his tall frame into it.

"What are we going to do with him, Perry?"

"It's free entertainment, Della."

"Whatever you say, chief."


End file.
